Rail-joint.



D. c. STEPHENSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. I913.

,. v Patented Ju1y6, 1915. I

5 $HEETSSHEET| nwwtw I M 01% wit name) COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COHWASHINGTUNV D. c

n. c. STEPHENSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1913. 1,145,336. Patented July 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n. c. STEPHENSON. RAI NT.

PPLICATION MAY 8') 1913- Patented July 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 V llll I COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D C.

D. C. STEPHENSON.

..1',145,336. PatentedJulyB, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

D. C.- STEPHENSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1913.

Patented July 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 llil |4l.| 11l1| 1111 H 2 v V/// w wiwmwz @WM RAIL-JOINT. t V

is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a sec:

-' tion partly in elevationon lines III-IIIof d which overlap the endsof the joint plate Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on lines IVIV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the rail engaging members; Fig. 6 is a plan of a modified form of my device; Fig. 7 is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 8 is a section on lines VIII-.VIII of Fig. 6, Fig. 9 is a.

section on lines IX-IX of Fig. 8; Fig. .10 is a plan partly in section of a further modification and Fig. 11 is an elevation thereof. My invention relates to rail joints and consists in a joint which eliminates the necessity of using bolts for securing the fastening means to the rails, and provides a structure of great strength-and simplicity. My invention also consists in the construe tion and arrangement of parts which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings; the numeral 2 designates end portions of adjacent rails, 3 the usual cross-ties, and 4 the base or joint plate preferably located between' the ties.-

The joint plate 4 is {preferably symmetrical in cross section, f is of uniform cross-section throughout its length and" has upturned sides 5, 5'. The rail engaging member 6, which extend's across the joint, is adapted to have a supporting engagement with the heads 7 of the rails, and its portion 8 bears against the undercut inner face of the side?) of the plate and against the upper, faces of the flanges 9 of:

the rails. The member 6 has a shoulder 10 adapted to overlie the upturned side 5 of the f plate 4. The. member 6 also has lugs 11 and prevent relative longitudinal movement of the plate 4 and the rail engaging member 6. On the opposite side of the rails is another rail engaging member 12 which extends across the joint and engages the rails between their flanges 9 and the.heads 7.

The rear faces 13 of the member 12 incline ward y f om end te ird the c ter Specification of Letters Patent.

of the member, and betweenthese inclinedfaces. 13 is a, rearwardly extending: projec tion 14 having curved deflectingchannels 15 therein. The undercut face 16 of the side 5 of-the joint'plate 4 lies parallelwith a w A QF DAVID c. STEPHENSON, or TOLEDO, oHIo, ASSIGNORTO THE NATIoNAij MALLEABLE Y 'GAS'IINGS COMPANY. 1 1

thelongitudinal axis of the rail, and. be

tween the faces 16 of the side 5: and the in-f clined rearfaces 13 of the member 12 are'1;

wedges 17, the inner and outer faces f which correspond to the faces 16 and 13 respectively. The wedges 17 have on their under side's'slots 18 for the reception ofthev bendable key members 19, the endsof which are adapted to be driven into thedeflecting 4 I channels 15 inthemember12 The keys 19 are provided withdrivingheads .20.

To prevent longitudinalmovement of joint as a wholerelative toithe rails, bosses 21 may be'provided on a railengaging meinber suitable for insertion into .thebolt holes in the rail webs, which'are normally used in connection with the ordinary fish plat'e joints, or thefianges of the rail may be cut away at seat the reception of an angular lug 2-3 on a rail engaging member.

Clearance spaces. are provlded between the shoulders 10 on the member 6, and the side 5, and also between the upper faces of the'wed'ges 17 and the shoulders 24 of the member 12 to permitthese parts to adjust themselves .to variations in the size ofthe rails and of the parts of the rail joint. ,j

My device is appliedto the rail in the fol lowingjmanner: I place the joint platef 4 under the ends of the two 'railstob'e joined in suchfposition thatit will extend longiw tudinally an-equal distance each sideof the I theninsertthe rail engaging memp joint.

ber 6 with its portion Sextending into the. f

V-shaped space between, the flanges 9 ,of the rail and the upturned side 5 ofthefj0int plate, and with its shoulder 10 overlying] the upper edge of the sidef5 and with the,

lugs 11 engaging the ends ofthe'joint plate.

I next insert the other rail engagingmem+ ber 12 in position against the opposite side] of the railwith the bosses 21 in'thefbolt I drive the wedge members l7 t w i h holes, or if the bossesare not, used the I i llug 23 in thev angularly shaped recess 22,.and

other between the faces 13 ofthe member 12 and the face 16 of the-side5 of the j oint plate until the wedges 17liave forced plate, the rails and the railengag'ing Inembersinto, sol d eesegemeet vith ease others The bendable key members 19 are inserted into the slots 18 and are driven l0ngitudinally so that their tapered ends will lock in the deflecting channels 15 until the heads 20 come into engagement with the outer ends of the wedges 17, in which position they hold the Wedges securely against the side 5 of the joint plate and the inclined faces 13 of the rail engaging member 12.

In Figs. 6, 7 8 and 9 I have shown a mod ification of my invention in which I use only one bendable key member 19 for locking the wedges 17 in the position into which they have been driven. In this form the key 19 is inserted in a slot 18 and is driven into a curved deflecting channel 15 in the other wedge 17, thereby locking the wedges in driven position between the undercut face 16 of the plate 4: and the inclined faces 13 of the rail engaging member 12.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a further modification of my invention in which the wedges 17 are locked in position by the bendable key members 19 which are driven longitudinally in slots 18 in the inner side faces of the Wedges 17 and deflecting channels 15 in the faces 13 of the member 12 In this modification the rail engaging member 12 has a rearwardly and downwardly extending boss 25 which engages a recess 26 in the plate 4 and prevents movement of the member 12 relative to the plate 1 It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructions which 'I have shown and described herein without departing from my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A rail joint comprising a base member of rolled or forged material having a cross section which is substantially uniform throughout its length, and having upturned sides parallel with the web of the rail, railgripping members extending across the joint, an incline on one of said rail-gripping members, wedging means adapted to be driven between said incline and an upturned side of the base plate, and bendable locking means for holding the wedging means in position.

2. A rail joint comprising a base member having upturned sides and being of substantially uniform cross section throughout its length, rail-gripping members extending across the joint, wedging means adapted to be driven between one of said rail-gripping members and an upturned side of the base member, and means adapted to be bent and lockedin a curved guideway in said rail-engaging members to lock the wedging means.

3. A rail joint, comprising a joint plate of substantially uniform cross-section throughout its length, the sides of the plate having their inner faces parallel with the web of the Copies of this patent may be obtained for rail, rail gripping parts adapted to bear against the flanges of the rails and support the rail heads, wedging means adapted to be driven longitudinally of the rail between a side of the plate and one of said rail gripping parts, bendable locking means cobperating with the wedging means and with the said rail gripping part for locking the wedge in driven position.

4. A rail joint, comprising a joint plate of substantially uniform cross section throughout its length, rail gripping parts adapted to engage the rails between their heads and base flanges, wedges adapted to be driven longitudinally of the rail between one of said rail gripping parts and a side of the joint plate, the said rail gripping part having therein curved deflecting channels, and bendable key members cooperating with said curved deflecting channels for locking the wedges in driven position.

5. A rail joint, comprising a joint plate of substantially uniform cross section througlr out its length, rail gripping parts adapted to bear against the flanges of the rails and support the rail heads, wedging means operating between a side of the plate and one of the rail gripping parts, the said rail gripping part having a projection thereon adapted to engage a recess in the base flange of the rail, and bendable locking means cooperating with curved deflecting channels in a rail-gripping part for locking the wedging means in driven position.

6. A rail joint, comprising a joint plate, rail gripping parts adapted to bear against the flanges of the rails and support the rail heads, one of said rail gripping parts having on its rear side wedging faces inclined longitudinally from its middle portion to its ends toward the rails, wedges adapted to be driven longitudinally of the rails between a side of the plate and the said inclined wedging faces, and bendable locking means for locking the Wedges in driven position between the side of the plate and said inclined faces of a rail gripping part.

7. A rail joint, comprising a joint plate of substantially uniform section throughout its length, extending beneath the rails, and having upturned sides, rail engaging members lying between said upturned sides and the rails, one of said rail engaging members having an incline on its outer surface, a wedge cooperating with said incline and with a longitudinally extending side of the joint plate and adapted to clamp the parts to the rails, and means for locking the wedge in wedging position.

' DAVID C. STEPHENSON. Witnesses:

HARRY J. WARD, C. W. ERKERT.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

